Forget the book tours. Go online. That was the advice of Tim Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Work Week. If you don’t believe Ferriss, check out this series of interviews with successful authors who are using social media to get their ideas out into the world.

The first interview is with Dan Pink, author of Free Agent Nation, A Whole New Mind, and The Adventures of Johnny Bunko. I’ve talked about Dan Pink before because he always seems to have his pulse on where the world is heading (although these days, it seems like no one knows the answer to that question.) One of the ways I learn best is from reading what smart people have to say and Pink comes through as usual. He’s right on target when he says in the interview: “Marketing is not a monologue. It’s a conversation.” I would add, ideally, the conversation leads to a community.

A quote from Rohit Bhargiva, author of the book, Personality Not Included:

He’s really talking about using both top down and bottom up approaches to having a bigger voice, as well as the use of networking to connect to the top and others who have a large following. Fortunately, as Bhargiva states earlier in the interview, individuals who were previously inaccessible are now accessible using social media. He gives the example of leaving a comment on John Mackey’s blog (CEO of Whole Foods) and having Mackey respond to the comment.

Take the time to learn from these authors who are already using social media and using it well. Hats off to Satchi Studio, a web design and marketing firm for doing these interviews and providing some valuable insights.

Photo by oddsock